US1004532A - Liquid-electrode arrester. - Google Patents

Description

E. E. F. CREIGHTON.

LIQUID BLBGTRODE ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1907. BENEWED JUNE 7, 1911.

1,004,532, Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

Fig'. l

Witnesses: In ventor:

Qui/IW f/ZL M' 'I 1 zbeh# Elmer EF. Creighton,

. UNITED sfrArEs PATENT oEEroE. p

ELMER E. F. CREIGHTON, 0F SHENEGTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRICv COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

LIQUID-ELECTRODE ARRESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

Application illed July 9, 1907, Serial No. 382,859. i Renewed .Tune "7, 1911. Serial No. 631,853.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be itknown that I, ELMER E. F. CREIGH- 'ro1\*, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady,

Stateof New York, have inventedD certaln new and useful Improvements in Liquid.- Electrode Arresters, of which the following is a specification.

In a previous application, Serial No. 358,7 77, I have shown and described a lightning arrester consisting of a cell containing a liquid electrode and two solid electrodes.

The present invention relatesl to details of construction of such a device.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a liquid electrode arrester embodying -my improvements F ig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a section through electrodes 11 just above the blocks 19 on the baille plate, and showing the latter in plan; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the top of the jar showing lone trap door open; Fig. 5 shows one of the hooks for holding the lid on the jar; and Fig. 6 illustrates a modified construction.

' The jar l is of glass or other insulating material, and contains a volume of electrolyte 2, composed, for example, of an aqueous solution of potassium carbonate, or sodium carbonate, or `ammonium chlorid, or lcopper sulfate, `or copper ohlorid. A coating 3 of insulating and liquid-proof material is applied to the bottom of the jar, and extends up its sides to a point a little above the level of the electrolyte. This coating is preferably composed of celluloid or an equivalent hydrocarbon compound put on in a melted condition. The yupper portion of the jar is coated inside and out with paraflin 3,Yor other hydrocarbon compound.

The mouth of the j ar is closed byV a lid or cover which is provided with a vent, the size'and character of which depends upon the size of the jar and the relative volumes of electrolyte and air therein. The object of the vent lis to afford 'an escape for the .vapors generated at 'the instant an arc is formed by a discharge of high potential. If there is a comparatively large volume of air in the jar, the resulting ressure will be moderate, and a simple ho e 4 formed in av as I'ha-ve shown nFigs. 1, 2 and 4. Here the lid 5 is made of some flexible material, such as leather. Itis stifened by a plate 6 of rigid material, such as metal, extending across the center of the lid and supporting .a clamping bar or yoke 7 composed preferably of two strips of sheet metal bolted together. At each end ofthe yoke is a hook, whichmay be integral therewith, as .shown at 7 in Fig. 6, or made separate and attached to the yoke as at 72 in Figs. 1, y2, 4 and 5. The latter hooks are sprung over the lip 8 on the mouth ofthe `jar. The hooks 7 are dropped down through slots 8 in said lip 8, 'and the yoke is then given a vpar-- tial rotation to carry the hooks under t-he lip. Suitable means are provided to prevent the yoke from being accidentallyA loosened; such as notches 82 formed in the` to engage with the under side of the lip 8 edges of the hooks.

Those lportions of the flexible lidh which lie on each side of the stiil'ening plateG are reinforced or Weighted by segmental plates .9 of rigid material. A space is fbetween the edges of the plates 6 and 9 so that the leather lid can bend, along these lines and form hinges. The reinforced portions thus constitute fiaps or trap doors,

which lwill readily open upward tol relieve pressure within the jar.

"The metallic electrodes consist of copper wires 10, which are insulated preferably by glass or porcelain tubes 11. Between the Wire and the tube there is preferably left a space which may be packedwith insulating material .like sulfur. The tubes pass through the lid or thelid and itscentral plate, and' extend some distance above it.

The strips which compose the yoke 7 are bowed outwardly at 12 to permit the tubes to pass between them and 'serve as clips to clamp -and .support the electrodes at the A proper height above the electrolyte.

Inorder to maintain a constant level of the electrolytes, a reservoir 13 is provided, consisting of a closed bulb, preferably of glass, having a tubular stem or feeding tube 14 running downthrough a rubber bushing 15 clam d in a bowed-out portion 16 of the yoke 7. The feeding tube terminates at the normal level of the electrolyte. yWhen the latter is lowered byevaporation air can enter the feeding tube and bulb untila Suicient quantity of water has fed down from lio the reservoir to restore the normalv level in the jar and seal the end of the feeding tube.

A baffle plate 17 is supported by'the tubes 11, being adjustable at any height above the electrolyte by means of the set-screws 18, tapped into blocks 19 which are secured to the baffle plate and are bored for the passage of the tubes 1l.

ln case a high potential charge occurs on the line, it will jump the gap between one electrode and the electrolyte and second gap between the electrolyte and the other electrode.- l find from experiment that the line current does not follow the high potential discharge unless the line voltage is higher than the critical limiting volt-age of the cell, which varies somewhat with` the electrolyte and is usually above 1500 Volts. l attribute the current rupturing feature of the cell to the diliiculty in producing or maintaining an arc from a metallic anode to a liquid cathode at a potential less than 1500 volts. Ait higher voltages an arc can be produced readily. But if the normal line voltage is above 1500 volts, two ormore cells can be coupled up in series to obtain a breakdown voltage of any desired value. When a discharge takes place through a cell of this kind, some of the electrolyte is va orized by the heat of the arc, and the resu ting pressure in the jar is relieved by the vent-hole or by the automatic opening ofthe trap doors. The loa-tile plate intercepts any liquid which may be thrown up by the agitation of the electrolyte when the discharge occurs. Any loss of electrolyte by vaporization is made good by the supply of water which automati cally feeds down from the reservoir. llhe external insulating coating on the jar is a safe-guard, both in reinforcing the insulation at this point, and in preventing the escape of the electrolyte in case the jar cracks. The paraffin coating prevents'. the leakage of arcs over crystals deposited on surfaces where they are liable to form by the drying of drops of electrolyte spattered upon the vupper portions of the jar by a violent discharge. A

What l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

1. A. liquid electrode lightning arrester,

Looe-,eea

comprising a liquid' containing jar having a lid of exible material, electrodes passing through said lid and a stiffening plate crossing the middle of said lid. i

2. A liquid electrode lightnin arrester, comprising a j arhaving a lid of eXible material, a stifening plate crossing the' middle of said lid, aluminium electrodes passing through said plate, and a yoke resting yon Said plate andclamping said electrodes.

3.l The combination with a jar, of a lid of flexible material, a plate crossing said lid, electrodes passing through said plate, a reservoir having a feeding tube passing down through said plate, and a yoke composedof two strips of sheet metal lying on opposite sides of said electrodes and feeding-tube and serving as clips to clamp and support the same. i

4. The combination with a' jar, of a lid therefor, insulated electrodes passing through said lid, and a yoke clamping said electrodes and having hooks engaging with said jar.

5. A. liquid electrode lightning arrester comprising a jar containing a volume of electrolyte and a volume of air, a lid for said jar, insulated electrodes supported thereby, and a coating of liquid-proof mav terial covering the lower portion of said jar up to a point above the level of the electrolyte.

6. The combination with a jar, of a lid therefor, insulated electrodes passing through said lid, and a baiiie plate supportedby said electrodes and adjustable with respect to each of said electrodes.

7. ln a liquid electrode cell, the combination of a jar filled in part with an electrolyte, a lid for saidjar, electrodes passing through said lid, and a yoke extending across the lid and resting on the edges of the jar to be supported thereby, said yoke clamping the electrodes in position but per-v mitting longitudinal adjustment thereof.

lin witness whereof, fl have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of July, 1907.

ELMER E. F. CREllGrHTN.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, lilnnnn @Broan

Images